Midway Design Review
Team 3
Smart Hydroponic Greenhouse
December 8, 2016
Advisor: Professor Jackson
Michael D’Anna, Samantha de Groot, Maxwell
Joyce and Shaun Palmer
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Team Members
Michael D’Anna
Samantha de Groot
Maxwell Joyce
Shaun Palmer
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The Problem
 Widespread access to local produce
• Food deserts
• Reduce carbon footprint of shipping
 For people without the time, space and knowledge to
garden
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Our Solution: Fully Automated Smart Greenhouse
 Array of sensors inside greenhouse
• Continuous measurements
• Displays information on app
• Sensor data used for the water
pump and nutrient dispersal
control
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Block Diagram
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Requirements Analysis: Specifications
 Automated
• Lighting control
• Hydroponic watering
• Nutrient dispersal
 Closed loop system to recycle water
 Must fit inside of a studio apartment ~(2’x4’), easily
movable
 Yield 6 fruiting plants
 Reusable
 App with simple UI – easy for people to use and learn
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Requirements Analysis: Inputs and Outputs
 Inputs
• Sensor data
• Humidity
• pH
• Temperature
• Moisture in growing
medium
• Plant Database
 Outputs
• Lighting cycle control
• Hydroponic pump
control
• Nutrient dispersal
control
• pH dispersal control
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MDR Deliverables – from PDR
 Hydroponic mock-up
 Functional nutrient dispersal system
 At least 1 sensor reading to control unit
 Lighting interfaced with control unit
 Android Application skeleton
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MDR Deliverables – Progress
 Fully functional hydroponic system and nutrient
dispersal system
 Two sensors reading to the raspberry pi
• Float Sensor
• Hygrometer
• Interfaced A/D converter
 Lighting and pumps interfaced with control unit
 Communication with pi over internet, app with menus
 Fully assembled greenhouse structure, applied UV film
 Potted growing medium mixture
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Lighting – Progress (Mike)
 Designed relay circuit to control outlets with Pi
 Installed UV film on Plexiglas
 Wrote code to control timing of lights and hydroponic
pumps
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Lighting – Moving Forward
 Design custom PCB for voltage regulation
• Order by 2/10 to account for lead time
 Program control unit to integrate lights into finite state
machine design (2/24)
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Hydroponics – Progress (Shaun)
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Hydroponics – Moving Forward
 Program control unit to integrate pumps and nutrient/pH
regulation into finite state machine design (2/24)
 Fabricate a pH regulation system (1/27)
• Same exact concept and circuitry from nutrient
dispersal
 Plant Seeds (2/27)
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Sensors – Progress (Sam)
Hygrometer, ADC
pH Sensor
Water Level
Float Switch
Temperature and Humidity
Sensor
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Sensors – Moving Forward
 Interface pH and temperature/humidity sensors with
control unit (2/3)
 Use sensor data to control state machine in control unit
(2/24)
 Exchange sensor data with Max and put it into a format
on the application suitable for the user (2/10)
• Notifications to fill reservoirs
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Control Unit – Progress (Team)
 Coded a mini routine to:
• Turn on and off lights
• Turn on and off each pump
• Mix a 20ml shot of nutrients with water
• Use float sensor to fill nutrient solution with 2 gal of
water
• Report hygrometer readings on android application
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Control Unit – Moving Forward
 Design state machine to model plant cycle from seed to
harvest (1/27)
 Code state machine in control unit (2/24)
 Ensure code can run stably over a long period of time
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App – Progress (Max)
 Established communication with Pi
• Capable of sending sensor data to phone
 Simple android application laid out with buttons and
menus
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App – Moving Forward
 Prompt user with questions (1/24)
• Use answers to adapt state machine (2/24)
 Give user notifications (2/17)
 Make website public (after CDR)
 Make website into an android web app (12/22)
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CDR Deliverables
 Design custom voltage regulator PCB
 Finish pH control system
 Interface the remaining sensors
 Complete functionality of android application
 Code entire plant cycle state machine from start to finish
 Have plants in the process of growing
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Demo
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Questions?
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Price per lb of Heirloom Tomato
 100 days from seed to harvest
 Average tomato plant yields 20 lb of tomatoes
 Lights are on for an average of 18 hours a day
 Results: 3.96 kWH per lb = $0.75 per lb at $0.19 per
kWHs
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